The book picks up on research we undertook at the Case Foundation to examine the core qualities of changemakers, entrepreneurs and innovators. What we found were five simple principles at work anywhere transformational change has taken place. Equally important: through the research, we were able to debunk the myth that breaking through requires a special genius, or connections or attending the right school—good news for anyone who has had an idea for making the world a better place but has been stopped in their tracks with thinking, “This can’t be me.”

The stories in the book bring the principles to life—stories of seemingly ordinary people who have ignited the kind of change that creates real impact by applying the five principles that are present and common among innovators:

Make Big Bets and Make History: Strive for big ideas, not incremental change

Be Bold, Take Risks: Try new things and keep experimenting

Make Failure Matter: Apply lessons learned when you encounter setbacks

Reach Beyond Your Bubble: Forge unlikely partnerships

Let Urgency Conquer Fear: Let the urgency of the moment move you to act

In just the past month, I’ve been privileged to share the principles of fearlessness with television and radio audiences, through print and online interviews and in various podcasts, and I’ve been humbled by the support of friends, colleagues and partners along the way. YOU helped turn Be Fearless into a national bestseller! It’s been incredible to see the welcome reception to the Be Fearless message at the many book signings and events I have attended and the widespread support for the book at both national and independent bookstores. We couldn’t have done it without you!

But more impressive than any of those accolades are the fearless stories I’ve received since launching the book. I’ve received so many personal messages from people who found that the stories featured in the book have helped them take the next step in their journey toward a Big Bet. From a soon-to-graduate college student who is boldly pursuing her passions, to the social impact startup founder who listened to the Audible version of Be Fearlesstogether with her young daughter and are now talking about how bring more purpose to their lives, to the leading executive at a prestigious company in New York City who writes that he’s been holding back his big ideas because of fear of failure and is newly emboldened to take them forward.

Hearing these stories from you means that we’re accomplishing what we set out to do: helping to build a more fearless world. My hope is that you’ll keep them coming! Tweet, tag, or comment to share your stories of fearlessness and pictures of the book! Those who have shared their stories with us and others fuel an optimism about the future. After all, the road to transformational change begins with a first step, which is why the title of Chapter 1 of the book is, “Start right where you are.”

I wrote this book because in the years I’ve been sharing the Be Fearless principles, I’ve had countless men and women who represent companies, nonprofits, social movements and everyday people come back to me and tell me that they’ve been inspired to be bold, take risks, make failure matter, march toward their dreams and make a difference in this world. Maybe one day I’ll hear from you.

Now go, Be Fearless!

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ABOUTJean Case

Jean Case is an actively engaged philanthropist, investor and a pioneer in the world of interactive technologies.